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Montpelier, General Henry Knox Museum - A celebration of the life and home of the first U.S. Secretary of War, Major General Henry Knox

The General Henry Knox Museum is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to celebrating the life and home of General Knox and his family, as well as providing educational events for the community. The Museum is a ten-minute drive from Rockland and is located at the junction of Routes 1 & 131, on 30 High St. in Thomaston, Maine.

General Henry Knox was born in 1750. It was in 1775 when General George Washington chose Knox as his Chief of Artillery. Knox spent most of the Revolutionary War by Washington’s side and was chosen to be the first Secretary of War after it ended. In 1795, Knox retired to a large tract of land his wife inherited from her mother, located in present-day Thomaston. They built an elaborate nineteen-room mansion on this land and named it "Montpelier." Knox played a critical role in the local economic development through shipping timber, making bricks, agriculture participation, building a lock and canal system on the Georges River, building roads, quarrying lime, and helping establish a church. Knox was a true extrovert, once welcoming over 500 townspeople to a party at Montpelier. Knox died in 1806 at the age of 56, but his legacy is still deeply preserved by the efforts of many people.

The original Montpelier was torn down in 1871, but a replica was built in its place in 1929. The Montpelier Museum is now home to many of the objects that Knox kept in the original mansion. Visitors have the unique opportunity to take a tour of Montpelier. It begins in an orientation room, which showcases changing exhibits, a cannon, and many photographs and paintings, with an introductory video. Guests are then invited to tour the mansion with much of its original inventory in place. Items that are not original, like the wallpaper, have been re-created from salvaged pieces found in the original mansion. Some notable pieces include the ladies’ withdrawing room with mica-embedded wallpaper that sparkles in the candlelight and the famed Longman & Broderip piano, rumored to have been the first piano in Maine.

Visitors also seem to love the oval room. This main room features thirteen-foot ceilings, two marble fireplaces and large doors that fit the curved walls. This room offers an impressive view of the St. Georges River. Another architectural achievement (known to amaze guests) is the semi-flying staircase, a magnificent set of stairs with no visible means of support. The museum has one kitchen that displays several domestic implements, some of which bear the stamp that Knox put on all of his family’s tools.

The museum is open from Memorial weekend through Columbus Day. Guided tours are available Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. Admission is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors, $4 for children, and free for visitors under the age of five. The museum offers a family rate of $18. Group tours are available by appointment. For more information, please call 207-354-8062.